In a business environment where many pallet companies are facing sluggish sales and price pressures, every penny saved counts. That’s where having the right vendors can make all the difference.
HUB Industrial Supply has been in business since 1990 and has developed a reputation for top-notch service and reliability in the pallet industry. It provides a wide variety of consumable products including saw blades and cutting tools, fasteners, abrasive products, safety and janitorial supplies, and pallet mask.
HUB has been a key business partner for Pallet Resource Corp., which serves the Minneapolis, Minnesota region. Tom Saari, owner of Pallet Resource said that he has relied on HUB for about 20 years or more. He added, “HUB is a one-stop shop for so many things. We buy our bandsaw blades, resharpenable blades, disposable blades, gloves, safety gear and more from them.”
Long-Life Blades at Competitive Prices
Pallet Resource Corp. runs three different types of bandsaws at its three facilities. The headquarters location has a Robotic Pallet Dismantler from Alliance Automation and two Heartland bandsaws. Another facility has a three-headed Industrial Resources inline feeder system where it falls down into a conveyor and then off to a cut line. The third facility operates to Heartland bandsaws. The company orders all of its blades from HUB except for those used on the Robotic Dismantler.
Why use HUB? Saari admitted, “HUB’s price is very competitive, and we’ve had a lot of people send samples, and they’re not as good as HUB when it comes to blade life. Yeah, we’ve tried a lot of different blades, and nothing beats them.”
Managing the purchasing process for Pallet Resource is Javier Diaz, the maintenance manager. He commented, “HUB blades don’t break easily and last longer. I think the material they use is better.”
Another company that is happy with HUB’s blades is Oak Creek Wood Products in Wisconsin. Rafael Guerrero, owner of Oak Creek Wood Products, stated, “I have tried other blades, and they just don’t work the same. I’m the type of person that when I find something that works, my company doesn’t switch. Our sales rep, Rachel, has been amazing. If we need something in an emergency, she takes care of us.”
Always Developing New Products
HUB doesn’t just sell a huge catalog of products; it also has staff charged with finding common problems in pallet plants and coming up with unique solutions. The company even conducts metallurgical and chemical testing to develop the right blends of materials for top performance.
HUB recently debuted its new Pallet Dismantler Pro bandsaw blade. Mike Hall, certified product manager for HUB, explained, “This blade has tooth geometry and a tooth set that’s a little bit different. We designed the blade to take advantage of the way pallet fasteners work… We worked backwards from the typical pallet nail connection to discover the optimal geometry for most pallets combined with the ability to handle vibrations better. Add to this a more resilient backing, and we think we have a real winner on our hands.”
The Pallet Dismantler Pro has been in field tests, and Hall stated, “The feedback from customers has been awesome. We’ve had a lot of large users adopting this new blade. It’s been really good. So based on that feedback, we’ve gone full speed ahead with manufacturing the product.” Customers can order it now from their sales rep or online through the catalog. You can also see the ad on page 43.
Hall added, “This blade design will handle heat and vibration better than many conventional blade designs for pallet dismantling.”
Another problem that HUB has tackled is safety glove durability. Some common gloves tend to struggle to last through the day. Hall admitted, “We have worked diligently to come up with a product line of impact gloves that are more durable and cost less than most customers would expect.”
Thes are impact gloves that have what looks like rubber bumpers on the back of the glove and on the fingers. Hall explained, “So, if you drop a pallet on your hand or you get a little wild with your hammer, you’re probably going to end up with a bruise rather than a broken finger.”
Finally, HUB has sourced a new tool balancer designed specifically for the needs of the pallet industry. Hall noted, “We were providing the Cadillac forever, and we like being Cadillac salesman, but we understand the market is going to Chevys. So, we had to switch to a Chevy with some of the Cadillac features. We pulled the best features out of the Cadillac that we could afford to put in the Chevy and now we sell that version of tool balancer to pallet companies.”
There are a number of new developments on the drawing board. Hall disclosed, “We are working with various advanced automation suppliers to come up with new products to service those unique needs including bandsaw blades, saw blades and other wear items. We should have some exciting news about these developments later this year. We have a whole team of people who are working to research problems and develop products to serve the pallet sector.”
A Wide Variety of Products
In addition to blades, Pallet Resource buys safety supplies from HUB, including hearing protection, safety glasses, gloves, hard hats and back support belts. Diaz said, “Most of our production workers wear back support belts to reduce injuries and to keep them from getting tired as quickly. The support belts have improved worker safety.”
Another unique product offered by HUB is its Pallet Mask™ designed to remove certification marks. Pallet Resource regularly uses this product when repairing heat treated pallets. HUB’s product comes with a special spray nozzle to reduce paint usage providing for more even coating in fewer passes. The product is designed to blend in better with pallet wood than the traditional black paint mask you can find in most stores. See the video on page 17.
HUB serves customers in the United States from four distribution centers located in strategic areas around the country. The company just added a new facility in Dallas to serve the growing Texas market and the greater Midwest. For many products, HUB offers a same day ship guarantee for any order placed before 6 p.m. (eastern time) as well as a 365 day returns.
Saving Customers Money, Offering Reliable Delivery
A big reason that HUB supplies blades and consumable supplies to almost 2,000 pallet companies and counting is its pricing consistency. Saari admitted, “HUB keeps its prices competitive. I periodically spot check prices, and they're always there. During the pandemic when everything was going up, they held prices fairly steady with only small, justified price increases.”
While there may be disruption in supply from time to time, HUB has worked to develop a steady inventory to be able to sell whatever blades are required by customers.
HUB offers easy online tools to help streamline purchase orders. This lowers administration costs when previously pallet companies had to deal with a number of different vendors. Its buying power has improved under the new owners Applied Industrial Technologies, a three billion dollar company. It bought HUB in 2016 providing even more resources for the company.
Speedy delivery and same day shipping are routine. HUB boasts an impressive 98% fill rate of core products so that you can trust your order will arrive in full. Even with current supply challenges facing reciprocating blades, HUB is still able to honor its same day quick ship guarantee.
Guerrero of Oak Creek Wood Products said, “HUB was a lifesaver during the pandemic when supply shortages were common for other products. They took care of us every time we needed something. We actually ramped up quite a bit and needed extra plates during the crisis because we grew like 300%, and they were able to keep up with us.”
HUB focuses on the customer and providing responsive customer service. Guerrero recalled, “I had times when we forgot to order, and I don’t know how she did it. Like three o’clock in the afternoon we’ll be emailing that we needed plates and next morning they’re here…I think that their level of service is unparalleled.”
Why Pallet Mask™ Is a Better Value Than Bargain Paint
HUB Industrial Supply offers Pallet Mask to cover up certification marks on pallets. Its color blends better into wood than standard black used in conventional bargain paint. The HUB product uses a fan spray instead of a spot spray to provide better coverage. In this video, Jonny Guinn explains how a can of Pallet Mask, when properly applied, will outlast a can of bargain paint and deliver a superior result. You have to see the video to fully appreciate how the Pallet Mask Pro becomes more opaque as it dries, while the bargain paint becomes more transparent. http://tinyurl.com/6c6m2dxa
